Canada’s House of Commons Speaker Anthony Rota has apologized for honouring a 98-year-old veteran who fought for a Nazi military unit during World War II.
Rota recognized Yaroslav Hunka as a “Ukrainian hero and a Canadian hero” and thanked him for his service at a parliamentary meeting on Friday, September 22, 2023. The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who both joined in applauding Hunka.
However, Rota later said he was not aware of Hunka’s background when he made the decision to honour him. He said he regretted his action and accepted full responsibility for it. He also extended his “deepest apologies” to Jewish communities in Canada and around the world.
Hunka served in the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, also known as the Galicia Division, a voluntary unit that was under the command of the Nazis. The division was responsible for the mass murder of innocent civilians with a level of brutality and malice that is unimaginable, according to the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish human rights group.
Both Trudeau and Zelenskyy said they were not informed of Rota’s plan to recognize Hunka or his Nazi affiliation. Trudeau’s office said Rota did the right thing by apologizing and taking full responsibility. Zelenskyy’s office said he condemned any manifestations of Nazism and anti-Semitism.